The salary cap investigation into Parramatta is finally over, with the NRL handing down a 12 point penalty and a $1 million fine to the embattled club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Five officials - club chairman Steve Sharp, deputy chairman Tom Issa, director Peter Serrao, CEO John Boulous and Head of Football Daniel Anderson - have all been deregistered by the NRL and will leave the club.
The sanctions have all but ended the high-flying Eels' hopes of returning to finals football for the first time since 2009 despite starting the season with six wins from their first nine games. The Eels will still be able to play for competition points the remaining games season.
NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg determined the penalty on Monday night after the integrity unit's near three month investigation into a range of third party agreements, informing Eels officials of the commission-approved sanctions on Tuesday morning.
Greenberg meet with the club officials on Monday morning to deliver the news.
The NRL's head of integrity unit, Nick Weeks, will join Greenberg at a press conference at League Central later this morning to explain why Parramatta will be playing for pride for the rest of what was a promising season.
At the club's AGM on Monday night, Parramatta chairman Steve Sharp vowed to fall on his sword and resign if it spared the club being docked competition points.
However the NRL's punishment may not necessarily be the final chapter in the salary cap probe, with Parramatta hierarchy prepared to push back against the NRL in the courts claiming they have not been afforded procedural fairness.
